天才
tensai[tẽ̞ɰ̃sa̠i]
The Japanese word for genius is 天才 (tensai).
天才 is a noun used to describe someone who possesses extraordinary intelligence or skill.
Meaning: someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 天才 is composed of two characters: the first represents "heaven" (天) and the second represents "talent" or "ability" (才), literally meaning "heavenly talent."
How do you pronounce it?
tensai
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture, such as anime, the term 天才 is often used sarcastically to describe someone who does something remarkably stupid or absurdly lucky.
- The character for 'talent' in 天才 is 才, which is also used to denote age when counting years in official documents.
- While English speakers use 'genius' to describe an idea, Japanese speakers typically reserve 天才 strictly for the person possessing the gift.
Examples in context
- 彼は天才だ。He is a genius.Tatoeba #101933 by bunbuku, translation #301761 by CK
- 俺って、天才！I'm a genius.Tatoeba #12095500 by small_snow, translation #2247891 by CK
- 私、天才かも！I might be a genius.Tatoeba #12095501 by small_snow, translation #12095503 by CK
- 彼は本当の天才です。He is a true genius.
- あの人本当に天才だよね。That person is a real genius, right?
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hina and Kenta are looking at a complex painting.
- 陽葵 Himariこの絵を描いた人は天才ね。Kono e o kaita hito wa tensai ne.The person who painted this is a genius, isn't he?
- 健太 Kenta本当にすごい技術だと思うよ。Hontou ni sugoi gijutsu da to omou yo.I think the technique is truly amazing.
- 陽葵 Himari健太くんも絵が上手いし、天才かも。Kenta-kun mo e ga umui shi, tensai kamo.Kenta, you're good at drawing too, so maybe you're a genius.
- 健太 Kentaそんなことないよ！Sonna koto nai yo!That's not true!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “genius” translations and entries 天才, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
